


A Bone To Pick

by OlrichRakdos



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Sans and Papyrus switch places in Genocide route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 20:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5884222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlrichRakdos/pseuds/OlrichRakdos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans and Papyrus were the best (and only) skeletons around. When one dies at the hands of Chara, the other turns to an old friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bone To Pick

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Genocide Papyrus](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/173095) by Anime_Sonicmega. 



> As per usual, it seems, wrote this in the early hours of the morning. Started at midnight and ended it at quarter past 2am.  
> Enjoy some Undertale fluff, and an AU.

They had started it all.

It had been the human child that had come down and hunted every monster down. As such, Papyrus had taken it upon himself to evacuate the town deeper, attempting to get to Asgore’s castle.

They had acquired the odd gauntlet in Snowdin Shop, cracking their knuckles eagerly and hoping someone or something decided to jump out, even when their innate senses told them that no one else was about.

So when Sans stood at the pathway to the Waterfall, he expected the human to walk forward.

“I knew you were coming, human. You truly do want to continue down the path you’re treading now, don’t you?” Even though Sans knew about Determination, they were sure that a being so malicious couldn’t call upon it. Even if they were human… Right?

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. Come on. Can a goofball skeleton get a hug?” Even as his arms went out, Sans doubted that his words could fully sway the maniac in front of him.

As they stepped forward, smiling, Sans paused. _Are they really doi-_

His thoughts were cut off as a fist went straight into his upper chest, sending his head toppling into the snow.

He saw his bones dissolve, the grin on his face slowly mellowed into a smile. “Heh. If that’s your idea of a hug, I don’t think I want a kiss.”

Then his skull slowly dissolved, a small blue orb left in its place.

Chara paused, picked up the orb, and then carelessly tossed it behind her into San’s jacket, their anger already building up again with the residents of Snowdin having left.

\-------

“SANS! I AM BACK, AND YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT! UNDYNE AND DOCTOR ALPHYS ARE COORDINA-” Papyrus paused, the unmistakable blue jacket covered in a gentle layer of snow and dust.

“SANS?” The skeleton stepped over towards his brother’s discarded clothing, realisation hitting a moment later. _The human did this._

Wordlessly, Papyrus slipped the jacket over his regular attire and pressed the small blue orb into his left eye socket, a single tear falling from his right.

One thought consumed him as he strode for his home, pulling a small golden key from Sans’s jacket.

_I need to find Doctor Gaster._

\-------

“DOCTOR GASTER? MY NAME IS PAPYRUS. I’M HERE BECAUSE SANS IS DEAD, AND… SOMETHING BOILS IN MY BONES.” Truth be told, Sans would never be truly dead as long as Papyrus had him in his SOUL, but the point stood.

The figure in the large tank tapped its head and hand on the glass, smiling eerily and beckoning with the other hand.

“THAT IS THE DEAL. I BRING YOU BACK INTO THIS WORLD THROUGH ME, AND YOU HELP ME KILL THE HUMAN FOR THEIR ATROCITIES.” He had never been more scared in his life, but Papyrus was also feeling something that he had never felt before.

Gaster nodded, his face tapping on the glass once, twice, thrice.

Papyrus placed his forehead and hand up to where Gaster’s were…

And then the two surged into each other. Papyrus’s natural hardiness and ability were almost completely overwhelmed by Doctor Gaster, but he had to continue for his brother.

Gaster, meanwhile, found a new obstacle in his path to subjugate the new body that was presented to him; the persistence of the original host.

As the two’s powers clashed, they started weaving around each other, interlocking the other with a portion of their own.

Then Papyrus was blown back from the tank as it exploded.

Slowly getting to his feet, he saw Doctor Gaster smiling, arms folded as he stepped out of the tank. “Well, m-m-my good sir-ir, I do beli-ieve that weeEEee are going to-to-to be excel-l-lent together-gether.”

“TOGETHER, DOCTOR?” Papyrus extended a bony hand, fully expecting the doctor to swat it aside.

Instead, Gaster took the handshake. “Indee-ed, my good sir.”

When Papyrus looked at his hand, he saw a small stylised skull on the back of it.

And Gaster had disappeared.

\-------

Chara strode down the hallway, twirling the knife in their hand as if it had always belonged with them. Humming a quiet, yet discordant tune to themselves, they smiled. Asgore would be easier than the la-

They paused. Somehow, Papyrus had gotten in front of them, Sans’s jacket cloaked over his shoulders and an orange glow in his left eye.

Chara glanced to the side, only then noticing the pillars.

And then Papyrus spoke in a calm, almost chilling manner, a stark contrast to his normal, shouting self that the human knew. “Human. I once called you more than that, didn’t I?”

It unnerved Chara for a second.

\-------

“Human. I once called you more than that, didn’t I?” It was now or never. This moment would be Sans’s revenge.

“Even with all the fear I had about you, I found the strength to cast it aside.” In his head, Gaster chuckled darkly.

“To embrace you. To support you. To call you my… Friend. But now… Now…” Papyrus paused. “What is this feeling?”

The small blue ball inside him clashed with his natural orange, and he finally realised everything, letting out an almost maniacal laugh. “I know what this feeling is. It’s… _Hatred._ For the person who came so far just to destroy an old friend.”

As his left eye started to glow orange, he smiled. Not one of mirth, no; one of anger and malice. “This eye of mine… It only activates when such terrible feelings exist. And with it, I can see everything you’ve hidden from me before. Everything you’ve done, and everything you intend to do.”

Papyrus paused, a small part of him amazed at the human’s capacity to listen to him. “Sans once told me that the moment he stopped caring would be the moment everything started to fall apart. At first, I thought he was talking about our relationship, and so I tried to make sure he always had a reason to care about me.”

The skeleton looked down, seeing his brother’s jacket pockets dangle loosely beside him. “But now I understand what he meant, and it’s too late to tell him I’m sorry for not understanding sooner.”

He looked back up at the human in front of him, who had gone stock still, a small hint of surprise etched onto their face. “It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? The more you want to hurt someone, the easier it is to make them _stop living._ But no matter how much you want to love someone, you can’t bring them back from being _dead._ ”

The orange eye flashed blue briefly, and Papyrus’s voice took on a more menacing tone. “Sans is gone because he stopped caring. But I refuse to do the same. I care about so many things. I care about myself-” He held up a finger at the statement. “I care about this world-” Another finger joined it. “I care about everyone you took from me.”

His hand flopped to the side, and he was lucky he hadn’t used his left hand for it. That would eliminate the advantage he had. “But the one thing… The **only** thing I no longer care about… Is you.”

Taking a deep breath in, Gaster’s energy slowly started pouring in, and Papyrus stood taller than he had ever done. “I’m not going to give you a bad time, as my brother might do in my shoes. Someone like you, who has taken so much, does not deserve to be given anything. Instead, someone like you deserves an equal; someone who wants to protect with **every ounce** of the same determination you use to destroy.”

His smile turned into a malicious grin as his hand slowly raised to point at the human - no, the monster – who stood against everything he stood for. “So, ‘human’, you are not going to have a bad time. Instead, I’m going to have lots of fun!”


End file.
